Rule of Law
by PsychoticallyIrrational
Summary: The Vampire Diaries AU; Caroline Forbes finally escapes her old life and moves into New York trying to put her Law School diploma into good use, yet will she succeed to live the dream when the firm she starts working in is being ran by Mikaelson brothers and one of them doesn't seem to let her catch a break?
1. Chapter 1

_„Elena's phone,—"_ After few short beeps the familiar voice made Caroline roll her eyes in annoyance. _"—I can't get to the phone at the moment, so leave me a message after the beep."_

"Elena, you're my best friend and I love you, but it sucks that the only conversation I get after weeks is with your answering machine!" Her voice rose with every word until she was practically shouting into the phone, making everyone in the tiny space of the coffee shop turn their heads to look at the girl sitting alone by the table. "And now everyone thinks that I'm a psychopath. Great. Thanks." This time she whispered into the phone after casting a charming smile at everyone who was still looking. "Look, I understand that you're having a romantic rendezvous with Damon in bed just like every other day of the past week, but I really need to talk to you. Something amazing—"

Another beep cut her sentence short; indicating that the limited time she had to share the excitement was not nearly enough. Caroline let out a long sigh and threw the phone back into her purse before emptying another tiny cup of espresso, making it the fifth one that morning. Never a big fan of coffee, she learned that it was perfect fuel for someone living in the madness of New York, so perfect that it was too difficult to resist getting all fueled up every day.

New York was great and she loved it – the people, the clubs, the shops, everything was so different from a gloomy setting of Mystic Falls and as soon as she got a chance to get out with her law school diploma in the bottom of her suitcase, Caroline didn't spent as much as a moment to hesitate. First few months were all about parties and holiday; Elena and Bonnie spent the first month with her, all sharing a tiny one-bedroom apartment that Caroline rented even though it wasn't much of an inconvenience as they didn't spend too much time there. But then Damon came back from his business trip to Italy and Jeremy was done with his exams thus both of her friends had to leave to go back to their sappy romance-filled lives that Caroline sometimes loathed. Loneliness made her think about Tyler, sometimes she spent hours staring at his name in her address book, tempted to call just for the sake of old good times, wishing to bring a pinch of that goodness back. However she was too proud – he left to start his top secret independent business with some college buddies she never met, no matter how much she begged him to stay.

And so it begun – caffeine laced lifestyle of a college graduate carrying thousands of resumes in her purse and attending tens of interviews per day. One might think that weeks of rejection would bring her spirits down, but she was Caroline Forbes – MissMysticFalls, head of prom committee, college valedictorian and fashion diva extraordinaire.

"Alright, Caroline, you can do this." She murmured to herself, tapping her fingers against a glass surface of the table impatiently. Whether it was anxiety or a side-effect of caffeine she didn't know, but both options seemed less and less glamorous after another five minutes flew by and the inevitable was coming. Caroline scored another job interview at a prestigious law firm right across the street of the coffee shop and only the sight of it through the window made the hair on the back of her neck stand in stress. It was exciting that her resume got their attention giving the reputation of the firm – it was established by two Mikaelson brothers – Klaus and Elijah – and it was _crème de la crème_ in the law world.

Fighting an urge to dawn another cup of coffee she fished a couple of ten dollar bills out of her purse and slammed in on the table a bit louder than anticipated. She saw couple of people raising their heads from newspapers they were reading or laptops they were glued to just to look at the same crazy girl who just caused a scene with her cell phone, however it didn't matter as there was something more nerve-wrecking she had to look forward to. A bell by the door rang as she slipped outside, atmosphere filled with chatter and sirens coming from down the street. New York was just as hectic and random as Caroline herself was and maybe that was exactly the reason why she felt so comfortable living there. Despite her funds running low and her tiny apartment smelling like dust and old people, she was still trying to make the best out of the not-so-glamorous situation, trying to hold tight to her girly excitement.

She hurried across the packed street, maneuvering around cars in her high heels as if she was floating in the air – graciousness was yet another thing she had plenty off. Dressed in her business-like attire, blonde hair tidied in a bun she tried to look as respectable as she could, spicing her appearance with sky-high heels that gave a perfect edge to the boring looks. Stopping right in front of the building she looked at fancy carvings and columns decorating the exterior of the building more old-fashioned than the average structure in New York. Reputation of Mikaelsons was well-known – they were somewhat of aristocrats, filthy rich and old-fashioned; at least Elijah Mikaelson was, while his younger brother Klaus was better known for reckless behavior in public and ruthlessness in the court. Something told her that it was Elijah's idea to have the building so classy while Klaus, probably, was all about tinted glass, leather couches and an occasional whip every here and there.

She chuckled to herself about the idea and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear before finally making her way to the front door and swinging them open just to step into an atmosphere so different from the outside. The foyer was filled with lawyers and clients running around with stacks of files in their hands and crazy look in their eyes. Phones were ringing and conversations filled the space with a cacophony that was somewhat exciting to Caroline just because she could almost see herself here – busy and just as crazy as the job description was.

"Caroline Forbes. I have a 10 o'clock meeting with Elijah Mikaelson." She sang in her most charming voice at a man sitting behind the reception table. He didn't even bother to look at her while checking his books and sliding a guest-pass across the marble surface.

"Forth floor, second door on the right." He mumbled and picked up the phone that was ringing insistently before she even managed to offer him a polite _'thank you'. _

Well, people seemed busy, but probably that was the glamour of the successful business that was booming with clients and cases that seemed to be so inviting. She strutted towards the elevator, dismissing the idea to take the stairs just because her high heels were gorgeous but also almost deadly to walk in. The elevator was covered in carpets and packed with people, making it nearly impossible to squeeze in and still have her dignity. Most of the people left at the second floor and by the time she reached the fourth – it was only her and a young brunette who stepped out in a completely empty corridor faster than Caroline did and disappeared around the corner in what seemed like a second. Taking a deep breath she made her way towards the door that read _"Elijah Mikaelson"_ in a fancy golden name plate. Caffeine buzz was still there and by the time she realized, Caroline was knocking on the door louder and faster than was acceptable while trying to impress someone by being classy and respectable.

"Come in." A soft voice interrupted her silent cursing and she straightened her skirt before turning the handle and stepping into a bright spacious cabinet that took her breath away. However the room wasn't the thing that got her complete attention – it was the man sitting behind the desk with his gaze glued on her and a little smile curving corners of his mouth. If Caroline ever thought of a prince on the white horse while she was younger – he would've been a perfect impersonation of that fantasy. A well-tailored suit fit him perfectly and she honestly couldn't take her eyes of him when he stood up and made his way towards her.

"Caroline Forbs, I presume. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." His smooth voice laced with deep accent almost made her jump, however she managed to gather her most charming smile and extend her hand in greeting.

"Mister Mikaelson, thank you for this amazing opportunity. I can't start explaining just how thrilled I am about being here, and I can't even start imagining how my resume would be of interest to someone like you and —" She stopped there scolding herself for babbling. _Way to go, Caroline, diminishing yourself will definitely get you this position. Not. S_he thought to herself before finally managing to let out a short fake laughter as if hoping it will erase everything she said. "—I'm sorry, I'm babbling."

"Please, call me Elijah." He finally answered, trying to fight a laughter that Caroline wasn't blaming him for. If she was someone in his position with a person talking nonsense – she would laugh too and then kick them out, but instead Elijah took her hand and brushed his lips against the back of it for just a fraction of a second. "Please, take a seat."

Caroline thanked the universe once he turned around just because a bright red blush settled on her cheeks and she didn't want to seem crazier than she already did. Somehow she managed to make her way to the chair graciously, even though a scenario of her tripping over her feet and hugging the floor was playing over and over in her head. Caroline took a seat and crossed her legs, trying her best to gather herself and fix the situation by being her charming irresistible self.

"So, Miss Forbes, tell me a little bit about yourself." Linking his fingers together Elijah locked his gaze on her, making her bite the tip of her tongue just so to stop another round of random babble that was forcing it's way out.

"Well," she finally started, taking a deep breath and trying to speak as slow and understandable as possible. "I graduated from University of Virginia three months ago and moved into New York with a dream of pursuing career in law." Even though her little story sounded respectable it was also dry and not at all Caroline-like, however it wasn't the time to be her goofy self when talking to someone who was about to decide whether her dream comes true or not.

"I have read your resume, so I am well aware of your education. I wanted you to talk about _yourself_." He accentuated the last word and suddenly Caroline felt like that terrible night of speed-dating she, Elena and Bonnie once attended to was repeating itself. Only that time it was meant to be a joke and now she was on display while her perfect plan to be subtle was about to crumble down.

"Do you know those little towns in a middle of nowhere, towns where nothing good or exciting ever happens and once asked to talk about yourself you're facing quite a task because you've spent years and years in a place where your best memories are the first beer you've drunk and a first boy you've kissed?" Caroline had to stop and take a deep breath because all words came out in a one long sentence that she couldn't stop no matter how much she wanted. "I came from a town like this; I was missMysticFalls, head of prom committee, a friend, a girlfriend and a daughter. I'm a lot of different things, however in the bigger picture they all merge into one and fade away because you want brighter colors and more defined lines."

Suddenly she stopped and bit her lower lip in regret because the monologue — no matter how long — meant nothing in particular. She loathed the silence that dawned on them and witnessed a small smirk tugging the corner of Elijah's lips that left her wandering whether it was mockery or whether he was crazy enough to find sense in her words. Her question left unanswered as after another moment he stood up and leaned on the table looking at her.

"It was a pleasure, Miss Forbes. Please wait for a callback on Monday"

_That's it? _She nodded and jumped up, almost dropping her purse on the ground however managing to catch it mid-air thus earning her couple of points for not looking like a complete klutz.

"I look forward to it." She murmured under her nose and hurried out of the room and into the same empty hallway. Well, the meeting was a total bust and she wanted to burst into tears the whole time she was riding the elevator. Instead of admiring the interior and people buzzing back and forth she loathed them all and cursed them in their head even if neither actually deserved it.

Only after reaching the lobby Caroline was able to pull herself together and take a deep breath that helped her get her head straight. Robust smell of coffee coming from a coffee stand was inviting and she gave in the second she spotted tens of bottles of syrups lined on the counter. Caroline ordered the biggest cup of coffee they had with double the dose of vanilla syrup and after steaming hot liquid was in her hand she started walking towards the exit at the same time digging in the purse for the cell phone because another session of voicemails was mandatory.

She found the tiny device in no more than few seconds, however it was more than enough to get her distracted and once she tilted her head it was far too late to stop the inevitable. Her tiny frame collapsed into someone else's, coffee was spilled all over hers and his clothes, burning her hand and fueling her snoozing rage that much more.

"Watch it!" She spat out at the man that seemed just as furious as she was, maybe even more.

"What the bloody hell?" Accent lacing his words was too strong not to notice and she felt all air being sucked out of her lungs as the realization hit her.

Expensive suit completely ruined and bloody murder coloring his gaze. She'd seen him in magazines, she'd secretly wanted to be as strong and witty as he was, yet there they were – standing in the middle of crowded lobby both smelling like vanilla with stains covering their clothes. But that wasn't the worst of it, the worst was the fact that Klaus Mikaelson had as big of a say who joins the firm as his brother and yet she managed to wash her tiny little hope away in steaming hot coffee.


	2. Chapter 2

A persistent buzzing somewhere in the very depths of the cocoon made from blankets and pillows made Caroline work hard to find the phone and then jump almost three feet up when she saw Elena's name blinking on the screen.

"Elena, I was about to leave to file a missing person's report." She masked her girly excitement with faux hurt and anxiety and sunk back onto the couch with her eyes fixed on the TV screen just because after twelve hours watching Sherlock Holmes marathon she deserved to know who the bad guy was. "And just so you know, I was also prepared to pay the ransom if Damon decided to call and ask for it. That's how good of a friend I am."

"I'm sorry, Care. Me and Damon had a little bit of… catching up to do." Only the fact that Caroline could hear how happy Elena sounded stopped her from protesting and being her bitter self, no matter how much she wanted to whine and complain.

"Yeah, I bet you both had your hands full. In bed!" She teased jokingly and both of them laughed in unison. And that particular moment Caroline could almost feel like her old happy and careless self again, not like a girl who was stuffing her face full with ice-cream and donuts all day long while not even feeling well enough to go and get herself a new pair of shoes. "Doesn't matter, though. I missed you so much! And I even missed Damon, but don't you dare to tell him that."

"I've heard that, blondie!" Damon's voice echoed through the telephone making Caroline roll her eyes in annoyance. She loved Elena and she always tried to be supportive of her choices, yet this particular one was manifesting in so many annoying ways that she had to take few deep breaths every time she witnessed Damon's cocky macho attitude.

One thing Caroline wasn't ready to admit was the fact that she somewhat understood why Elena was so smitten with the bad-boy Salvatore. He was always the one to cause problems and get them all into complicated situations — or in all honesty simply be a world-class asshole — yet he was so different with Elena and it was no secret that every girl wanted the bad boy to turn good just for them. Not that it changed Caroline's mind about him.

"Real mature, Damon! Keep it up!" She yelled into the phone just to hear a silent snort and something that seemed like a punch. Secretly Caroline hoped that it was to his face. "Anyway… Any news from lovely MysticFalls? Did someone throw another Emily Bronte themed party?"

"Not since the last fiasco that I'm still trying to recover from. But it's not what I called about, Care. Tell me all about your interview!" Elena sounded all excited and Caroline knew that she was about to start bawling her eyes out just because the said interview was nowhere even near exciting. "So, am I talking to a hot-shot lawyer now?"

"More like a hot-shot _mess_." Caroline accentuated the last word and sunk her teeth into the last sprinkled double-chocolate glazed donut just because it seemed to take her pain away; or at least for long enough so not to let her happy and giggly best friend down. "It's safe to say that my career was washed away with a latte and five pumps of vanilla syrup."

"What… happened?" Caroline could almost see Elena knitting her eyebrows together while trying to make sense from her words and that nearly made her tear up just because she wanted to have this talk in person and not over the phone while separated by a thousand miles.

"Where should I start? Maybe with the fact that I blew my interview by talking about brighter colors and more defined lines? Or that I emptied my cup of steaming hot coffee on Klaus Mikaelson himself and then ran like a headless chicken?" Caroline blurted out and only another bite of the donut stopped her from going on and on just how embarrassing and completely dream-annihilating her Friday was. Who would've thought that queen Caroline will spend her weekend makeup-less and dressed in oversized flannel pajamas while feeling sorry about herself? Well, it definitely wasn't Damon Salvatore, yet he found it very amusing as a wave of laughter filled the temporary silence making her feel that much worse.

"Damon!" This time it was Elena who protested against her boyfriend's poor sense of humor and Caroline could hear his laughter fading away in what she could only imagine was Elena putting some distance between them two. "Care, was it really that bad?"

"Let me put it that way – I would trade that experience with Neil Conaway lifting my skirt up in third grade to what happened yesterday without as much as blinking." Caroline sighed and pulled the blanket over her head as if hoping that it will shield her from the scene of bumping into Klaus playing over and over again in her head. "Well, at least I have time to prepare myself for Monday when the rejection and drycleaner's bill come. You should've seen that shirt! I will have to sell my apartment and live under the bridge while paying for my mistakes."

"I bet everything is going to be fine." Elena sounded both concerned and puzzled and no matter how Caroline wanted, she always knew that her best friend didn't quite understand the situation Caroline was in. Elena chose a peaceful life in a town she was born in, she chose Salvatore mansion and movie nights with Bonnie instead of daring to move to another city and start a different kind of life. She couldn't blame her, but sometimes she wanted the comfort of someone who would be able to understand how the rejection and loneliness felt like.

"You're right – it will be." Caroline's acting skills were paying off as she managed to sound completely nonchalant and even somewhat happy. Deep down she knew that Elena was just as torn by not being able to walk in Caroline's shoes and as much as imagine how she felt like. Only thing that mattered was knowing that her best friend was there for her no matter what. "Anyway, I'll let you get back to your silken sheets and _catching up. _And also Sherlock is about to catch the killer and I wouldn't want to miss that, would I?"

"It's the woman in a blue dress. Talk to you later, Care!" By the time Caroline wanted to start pouting Elena was already gone and she was left with beeping and a ruined movie still playing in the background.

…

Sunday came and went the same way Saturday did – with tons of sugar and movies all day long until she felt like hibernating for the next decade. Yet the alarm went off at seven in the morning next day and she felt being pulled back to reality where men didn't hold boomboxes over their head or danced with you in the middle of the fountain under a starry sky. The reality was the fact that she looked like a mess, felt like a mess and overall everything simply blew.

Shower was something Caroline was looking forward to, yet it turned out to be less than soothing as there was no hot water and she had to jump in an out in less than ten minutes just because she could barely feel her fingers anymore. It was just as if the universe was playing one nasty prank and giving her a clear sign that bad beginning of the day meant that the ending was even worse. Caroline spent the next hour rummaging through her closet while trying to find something appropriate to wear if by some miracle Elijah finds her empty-headedness a valuable asset and Klaus secretly enjoys being covered in coffee and bad manners. She knew that it was silly to have hopes at that point, yet she spent more than enough time feeling pity for herself and her New York experience.

At ten she was already dressed in black skinny jeans, white shirt and a jacket. It wasn't the most appropriate attire, but truth to be told – Caroline's bottomless closet had very few items that were suitable for interviews and her best combo was lying on the floor together with her self-esteem both covered in stains. A cup of fresh-brewed coffee and one New York Times later she could feel her spirits going down the spiral as she was still trying to make the phone ring with only the power of her mind. One should imagine the surprise when after ten minutes of intensive staring the phone screen lit up with an unfamiliar number making Caroline jump down from the chair and have a short panic attack.

"Hello." She finally managed to calm down and sound as casual as ever after answering the phone even though her expression was distorted by both tension and joy.

"Caroline Forbes? This is Katherine Pierce – Elijah Mikaelson's assistant. He wanted to have a meeting with you at twelve. Don't be late." The woman sounded bored and blunt and before Caroline could thank her she ended the call unceremoniously leaving Caroline to wander if that wasn't something her mind created when facing unbearable stress. Yet after another moment spent holding her phone pressed to her ear and allowing herself to contemplate what just happened she slowly lowered the device back onto the table before jumping up at least few feet. A widest smile settled on her face as she danced in the empty room with no music and laughed to herself probably freaking all of the neighbors out. Yet it didn't matter – she was Queen Caroline and she was invited for another meeting with Elijah despite everything that happened.

…

Walking back into the same lobby she made a complete fool out of herself at was an equivalent to a walk of shame. Maybe she didn't have a messy sex hair and same clothes on, yet it didn't change the fact that she had her gaze glued to the floor hoping that no one would remember her. The man behind the reception seemed to be just as uninterested as the first time and as soon as Caroline had her guest-pass in her hand she hurried towards the elevator and joined the crowd while trying to take the spot in the very back of the tiny carpeted space. The fourth floor was just as empty as she remembered yet this time, without being high on caffeine, she felt more restrained and less crazy.

The door to Elijah's office was wide open and she saw him sitting behind his desk and a young woman hading him documents to sign. She was an exquisite beauty – thick curls fell on her shoulders in a tousled manner, yet she still looked like someone who stepped out of the podium rather than someone who forgot to do their hair in the morning. She was that kind of a woman that was silently hated by the others just for being completely perfect – long eyelashes, long legs and perfect breasts all packed in one body and Caroline couldn't help it but loath her just a bit.

"Miss Forbes, glad to see you here." Elijah's voice snapped Caroline out of her train of thoughts and she smiled somewhat awkwardly while stepping into the office. "Please take a seat, Miss Pierce just brought me some papers to sign."

"Thank you." Caroline nodded and took a seat right in front of the desk while carefully eyeing _Miss Pierce_. So she was the one to give her good news that morning with not even as much as a pinch of interest in her tone; well, that made it just a bit easier not to like her. The woman, however, didn't seem to notice Caroline and her full and undivided attention was only on Elijah signing stack of papers so meticulously that his signature looked like work of art rather than something scribbled on a line just for the sake of it. She treated Caroline like an empty space and only after the signing was done she cast a short glance at her and Caroline could swear she saw a grin tugging at the corners of her lips yet she was gone by the time she could give it more thought.

"I have good news, Miss Forbes." Elijah linked his fingers together and smiled in one of the most charming smiles she ever witnessed. She made herself a mental note to tell Elena all about his perfectly dreamy self next time they talk. "I did consider your application and I would love it if you joined our firm."

"I would be happy to." She finally answered after clearing her throat and reminding herself that it was neither the time nor the place to start dancing in joy again.

"But…" He started and her heart quickly sank just because _but _was a powerful weapon. She could swear that it was a _but _that started all the wars and wreaked havoc all across the world. "…You have to understand that I can't hire you as a lawyer with no experience in the field. Good grades and extra-curricular work in the university isn't what makes a good lawyer, it's all about the experience."

"Which I would love to get if only you allow me." She felt the ground slipping from under her feet and disappointment settling on her features yet she wasn't so eager to give up just yet. Caroline Forbes was stubborn and used to get what she wanted even if she had to fight tooth-and-nail for it. Even though arguing or talking back to the man who was holding her dreams in his grip wasn't the best idea, she felt like one way or the other she didn't have much to lose.

"And that's exactly what I'm offering." He leaned back to his chair still sporting a smile that didn't seem to fade even after her counterattack. "I would like to hire you as an assistant for one of our best lawyers. I know that it's far from what you've imagined, but I can promise you that it's not all about coffee-runs and office work. Plus it will give you a chance to learn from the best while witnessing his work."

Caroline had to be honest – it sounded better than what she was expecting and it was quite a reasonable offer. After all, could she afford to be picky with a hundred dollars in her wallet and enough for only one month's rent left? And just as Elijah said – it would give her a chance to learn until she had that so valued experience that everyone wanted so much.

"I would love to take your offer." She finally answered with a nod and saw that the smile that was fading from Elijah's face returned, making her smile herself.

Caroline was about to bombard him with questions about who she would be working to, yet at the same time the door behind her swung open and whoever came in made Elijah jump up and Caroline swallow her questions.

"What a perfect timing." Elijah exclaimed walking from around the table and stopping right next to Caroline with his gaze glued on the person standing somewhere behind her. "Miss Forbes, I'd like you to meet the lawyer you will start working to from tomorrow."

Running a hand through her hair as if hoping to look more presentable she stood up herself and took a deep breath before turning around with a widest smile on her face just to feel it drop instantly. There he stood – Klaus Mikaelson himself, his hands linked behind his back and a wide mocking grin plastered all over his face. Time seemed to stop as both of them stared at one another and she couldn't help but wander just what exactly she'd gotten herself into that time


	3. Chapter 3

_This has to be a joke which, in all honesty, sucks. _Caroline still stood in the middle of the room, clenching her purse and secretly wishing she had a parachute instead so she could jump out of the window while singing Pocketful of Sunshine and dancing around on the rooftops. She saw Elijah's expression turning into one of sheer confusion as she and Klaus had a staring competition lasting for what seemed to be an eternity. Klaus, on the other hand, seemed to be utterly thrilled and even enjoying himself as his brow rose and his grin widened. _I could be at home now, watching Pitch Perfect and nailing that song with a cup._

"Did I miss something, brother?" It was Elijah who broke the silence and addressed Klaus hoping to get some answers, yet something told Caroline that his brother wasn't the one to start sharing.

"Not at all, Elijah. I presume this is lovely Caroline who would help me with my daily duties?" This time Caroline's eyebrow rose as she definitely wasn't expecting Klaus to be so… Normal. Maybe it was only the media that made him look like a complete jerk? Talented jerk, off course, but a jerk nonetheless. And, anyway, who wouldn't be angry if some klutz would've gotten hot coffee all over them while on their way to work? Klaus' casual demeanor was somewhat soothing and she could feel the knot in her stomach loosening up just a bit.

"Caroline Forbes. It's a pleasure, Mister Mikaelson." She finally spoke and took few steps holding her hand out for him to shake. A wide smile was curving her lips just because she allowed herself to hope that working for him wasn't such a bad thing. And Elijah really meant what he said when mentioning that she would learn from the _best_.

"Please, call me Klaus." He cast a quick glance at her hand yet didn't move as much as a muscle to accept her greeting, leaving her standing there awkwardly for a moment before she ran a hand through her hair – the lamest gesture to hide awkwardness known to humanity. "It will be a definite _pleasure_, Miss Forbes, don't you doubt that."

Klaus was like a more sinister and twisted version of Damon; but where Damon was painfully blunt and honest, Klaus masked his evilness with politeness, charm and an accent to die for. She could almost see why all the top models and celebrities fell for him and why he always had a different woman accompanying him to every public event he went to. Yet probably no one stayed for long enough so to witness his snake-like attitude. At some point Caroline hoped that she was only imagining things and tried to convince herself that she didn't even know the man; that, however, didn't change the fact that she wasn't looking forward to spending time in his company.

"I will have Katherine bring the paperwork. In the meantime, brother, why don't you show Miss Forbes to her desk?" Elijah did try his best to break the tension even if he was completely oblivious to what was happening. Somehow she saw him as Klaus' moral compass of sorts and only God knew what Klaus would be like without Elijah reminding him what the socially acceptable protocol of employment was.

"Very well. Follow me." Klaus spun around on his heel and strutted out of the office and into the corridor without even giving her a chance to catch up with him. Caroline could swear she saw that in the movie – a young naïve girl following a man through dark mazes; the twist was that no one ever saw that poor girl again. She shook her head trying to get rid of ridiculous thoughts that were pestering her more than it should.

"Miss Forbes." Elijah called silently as she was almost out of the door, making Caroline stop and swing around in hope that he changed his mind or finally decided to come clean that this all was just an act. "Just be… Patient with him."

She saw a shimmer of concern in his eyes that left her wandering who he was concerned about. Was it a complete stranger or was it his brother that didn't seem to be the type to play well with others? Maybe it was the fact that she'd watched too much of Sherlock over the weekend, but the circumstances told her that there was something hiding behind the riches and the success. Or was it _someone_?

Nodding once again, this time allowing a genuine smile slip across her lips, Caroline hurried out of the office just in time to catch a glimpse of Klaus' back disappearing from around the corner. He wasn't about to let her catch a break, was he? She rolled her eyes and had to practically run just so to catch up with him even if he didn't as much as cast a glance at her and simply made his way to the very end of the corridor and slipped through the door into an office that was oh so different from Elijah's.

Where Elijah's office was bright, spacious and tidy, Klaus' seemed to be littered with papers and binders scattered all over the black marble floor. His desk was even more of a mess – piles upon piles of books and empty cups of coffee covered the most of the surface leaving only in inch of space and that probably was just so he could hoist his feet up on the table when smoking a cigar, having a glass of scotch and putting together a plan for world domination.

"Your desk." He motioned towards the corner of the room to something that she initially thought being just an extremely high stack of papers. Caroline had to admit – she wasn't that type of a girl who loved all of her things in a perfect order, but this was a bit too much even for her.

"Well, it's been a while since the last time I sat on a throne of paper." She murmured under her nose but apparently it was audible enough for Klaus to hear as he swung around to look at her momentarily, making Caroline chew the inside of her cheek and cast a goofy smile his way. "And I'm saying it with all the respect in the world, Mister Mikaelson."

"Good; because you're free to sit in the corridor if you'd like, love." His offer had just the right amount of disdain to make her feel even smaller and less important than she already was.

_Love? Who does he think he is? My pimp? _She had few more colorful names for him already spinning on the very tip of her tongue, yet she managed to keep them her little secret instead. As Klaus turned around and walked to his desk Caroline allowed herself to take a better look around the office and in all honesty – it wasn't so terrible. Off course it could've used some sprucing up, yet now she noticed breathtakingly beautiful paintings hanging on the walls and one in particular got her full attention. It was a portrait of a woman, yet she looked more like a goddess – waves of thick brown hair were falling around her heart-shaped face, her eyes were as brown as molten chocolate with specks of gold dust and it left her wandering whether it was the detail she was painted with or her own beauty that was more astonishing.

Someone clearing their throat right behind her made Caroline jump, yet it was only Katherine with a stack of papers in her hand and the same sinister grin that was plastered all over her face the first time she saw her; only now Caroline knew the reason behind it – Katherine was well aware of the position Caroline would be offered and she wasn't very subtle while hiding her glee.

"Please sign these." She handed her the papers and left the office without another word. Well, the girl was living in her own little universe or so it seemed and Caroline sighed for a moment completely oblivious that she wasn't alone in the office.

"Problems, Miss Forbes?" Klaus' voice caused the hair on the back of her neck stand — that's how uncomfortable she felt around him — yet she shook her head and made her way towards the desk, looking at it for a moment before placing her contract on top of what seemed to be a homicide case. Caroline fished out a pen out of her purse and after skimming through the agreement she pressed the tip of it to where her signature had to be yet still hesitated as it felt almost like signing a deal with the devil.

"I hope you can write, love, because an assistant without basic skills is just as good as one of our cleaners." Caroline closed her eyes and took a deep breath instead of lashing out on him even if she was itching to do so. Something about him just turned all of her thoughts into plots of how to kill someone without being caught. It was as if she was having an allergic reaction to everything that left his mouth and to his presence as well; and only the idea of actually having to live under the bridge pulled the common sense from the back of her head and she signed all bazillion of copies in a whim.

"I can write, thank you very much." Caroline retorted and tried not to focus on the fact of just how childish it sounded like.

"I'm simply itching to unravel the rest of your rare talents." His voice was monotonic and laced in dose of sarcasm that would've been almost deadly if she didn't have her threshold up and ready to deflect whatever left his mouth. Silently she thanked Damon for being in her life and helping her acquire that remarkable asset by being a complete jerk. "Yet time is money and mine is very expensive, love. If you'll excuse me, I need to leave for the day and since you have all the time in the world, please do spend it on tidying this place up."

And with that he was gone out of the office and into his glamorous life of apparently scheming and causing emotional pain for everyone around him. Caroline sighed and allowed herself to drop her cheery act and contemplate the fact that she wasn't there to learn – she was there to clean and run errands while Klaus was in the courtroom making history in the world of law.

"You hate him too, don't you?" She questioned the girl in the painting feeling like this was less crazy than the fact that she agreed to work there willingly. Caroline was stuck there with at least five hours to kill and she had a feeling that the conversation with a painting could go for only that long and so — even if it was against her own nature — she started sorting through files an papers stacked on her desk first. For all she cared, Klaus could've drowned in his own mess yet she wasn't about to let him drag her with him.

…

"He made me clean his office, Josh! Who the heck does he think I am? A maid?" Caroline finished her third glass of vodka on the rocks and pointed her finger at it for a refill. "And you know what is even worse? He calls me _love; _like I'm some kind of a street walker."

Caroline felt like blowing off steam in her favorite bar owned by Josh himself who she liked from the very first glass she drank there while having fun with Elena and Bonnie. It was a tiny place right around the corner from her apartment and even if the clientele was somewhat shady she didn't care because Josh was a perfect example of a bartender and she considered him the only friend she had in New York.

"Is he really that bad?" Josh questioned while filling her glass with a refill and watching her with a little smile curving his lips.

"Go away, I hate you." She retorted making Josh burst to laughter yet he listened to her and went to attend other people drinking needs.

She felt her head getting empty and her tongue getting heavier with ever sip, but that was precisely what she needed that night. She was grateful that her apartment was only steps away as alcohol and heels was a deadly combination, but then again – she wasn't planning on leaving soon and maybe there was an amount of alcohol after which she wouldn't even care if she broke a heel; or her neck.

"Bad day? A voice coming from beside her made Caroline turn her head just to see a young man sitting right next to her.

"That's one way to put it." She answered and swallowed another burning mouthful wishing that it would burn her lousy day as well. "But I can think of much more colorful words to describe it."

"Well then, next drink is on me. I feel that you could use another one." He winked, yet it wasn't one of those nasty winks that other patrons gave her every once in a while. He was somewhat charming and instead of blocking him Caroline decided to pay him a bit of her intoxicated attention. "I'm Jesse, by the way."

"Jesse, you're a man, right?" Her question seemed to take him off-guard but before he could protest Caroline's mouth was open again and words spiked with vodka were pouring out of it. "Tell me - are all men so pretentious and evil, and atrocious altogether?"

"You tell me." He shrugged yet he didn't seem to be offended at all. Probably her being drunk was a free-pass to be as offensive as she wanted to be. Or maybe it was the fact that no one really cared what the drunken girl was babbling about as long as she smiled charmingly and was willing to spend few moments while flirting and looking pretty.

"I say that being a jerk is a part of your nature. It's like that Y chromosome comes with a '_jerk_' written all over it." Her tongue was getting heavier with every word resulting in her last sentence coming out in a slur even though she tried her best accentuate the word _jerk_ and for all she cared – that was exactly the point.

"Way to make a man feel good about himself." Jesse laughed once again and waved his hand at the bartender as if signaling him not to give any drinks to Caroline anymore. No matter what his true intentions were – it earned him couple of good points in Caroline's book and in addition it restored some faith in all male population as well.

"Tell me on thing, Jesse. Do you call random woman _love_?" She furrowed her eyebrows in question as if it was something as important as affairs of the White House. Propping her head on the elbow she watched his expression being colored in ten shades of confusion and maybe a wish that it was only a joke, yet Caroline didn't laugh but quirked her eyebrow instead.

"No ma'am." Jesse finally answered without as much as a second of hesitation, proving to Caroline that he indeed meant it. No matter what her reasoning behind such question was, she managed to smile somewhat crookedly and leaned in so close to him that there were only inches separating their faces.

"Well then, I might just as well marry you."


	4. Chapter 4

A siren coming from the outside made Caroline open her eyes and take a deep breath just as if she was waking up from a coma; and she indeed felt like that was exactly what happened. Rays of sun coming through a gap between the curtains made her eyes hurt and her head feel like it was about to split into two. Pulling a sheet over her head Caroline groaned, trying to recollect her memories from the last night.

She could remember vodka and that was quite hard to forget giving the fact that she still had that ghastly aftertaste in her mouth. She could remember spilling her guts to a random guy and him being very supportive, and… Caroline jumped in the bed, pulling the sheet down just a bit so to take a peak around and, off course, what she saw was Jesse splayed on the other side of her bed, rays of sun dancing on his bare olive skin while he slept peacefully. _Please, God, let me be dressed_. She thought to herself, yet her high hopes were crushed into dust momentarily as the realization and rest of the memories from the last night came rushing back.

She could remember the fact that it was her who suggested that Jesse escorts her back home and it was her who pulled him inside her apartment while having one finger hooked around his belt, and then… Well there was no need to try and remember as a trail of clothes on the floor leading from the front door to her bedroom spoke for itself and her being completely naked was a proof that it wasn't philosophy and contemplation of existential dilemmas they were engaged in the last night.

Truth be told – Caroline was never a prude, yet sleeping with a guy she knew for a total of fifteen minutes was somewhat of a new low even for her. Running her hand through a lump of messy bed hair Caroline silently lowered her feet on the ground and pulled the sheet from the bed, wrapping her body tightly around it while trying to make no noise on her way out of the bedroom. She could hear Jesse snore once and it was good enough for a proof that he wasn't a light sleeper. Rubbing her temples she entered the bathroom yet it was her biggest mistake as her reflection in the mirror greeted Caroline in what seemed to be a manner from a bad horror movie.

"What are you looking at?" She murmured to herself and turned the faucet on so to splash her face with ice-cold water as no one took their time to fix the water pipes and apparently hot water was somewhat of a luxury she couldn't afford.

A thought about all things luxurious made her jump up and squeal in panic. "What time is it? What time is it? What time is it?!" She kept on repeating while running out of the bathroom and straight into the kitchen just to catch a glimpse of the time in the oven-clock and throw her hands up into the air in despair. Caroline had to be at work precisely a minute and twenty seconds ago, yet she still looked like someone who just came back from the docks after a busy night while feeling like she was beaten up while at it as well.

Finesse wasn't her top priority at that moment as she raced back into the bedroom and dropped her sheet back onto the bed while slipping a bra and underwear on in a matter of seconds and diving into her closet to find something appropriate to wear.

"Good… Morning?" A man in her bed that apparently was awake was the least of her worries and she continued on pulling pants and sweaters just to look at them before throwing them over her shoulder. "Easy there. Do you want to suffocate me with skirts? Don't tell me, was I that bad?"

Him chuckling made Caroline roll her eyes while she was pulling a sweater over her head and trying to pull on a pair of jeans. Jesse was perfectly lovely for a one night stand and he had a sense of humor yet she was neither in the mood nor did she have time for pleasantries and awkward morning-after talks. When her messy look thrown together in minutes was done with, Caroline rushed back into the bathroom and removed yesterday's makeup, revealing a couple of lovely black circles under her eyes that went together so well with her extremely pale skin. She wanted to swear and cry, yet instead — while tying her hair into a messy bun with one hand — she threw her make up into the purse with a plan to apply it while in the cab.

"There's half of a donut somewhere in the kitchen and I'm out of coffee filters. So I presume that you wouldn't want to extend your stay." She blurted out while leaning to the doorframe of her bedroom and trying to zip up her boots. "See you… I guess."

_Well, that wasn't at all awkward. _Caroline thought to herself while running down the flight of stairs and into the street with her hand already up to hail a cab. It took her a minute to get one and she blamed her appearance for it; drivers were probably thinking that she was a homeless person and all of them were simply driving by until one charming gentlemen in his yellow car stopped and Caroline didn't waste time prying the door open and almost jumping inside onto the back seat.

"Corner of East Broadway and Jefferson, please." Caroline barked and dived into her purse to pursue her plan of looking a bit more presentable with thick layers of makeup.

…

One long taxi ride later Caroline was rushing into the building while looking into the screen of the phone feeling terrified. It was her first normal day at work yet she was forty-five minutes late and not really dressed to blend into the crowd; she made herself a mental note to go shopping for business attire, yet it seemed completely unnecessary at the same time anyway since her job apparently was to sit in the dark office while sorting through the papers.

"My my, Nik never told me about you." An unfamiliar voice greeted her as Caroline ran into the office with an impeccable explanation on the very tip of her tongue ready to fight her way out of a very uncomfortable situation.

"Who the hell is Nik?" Caroline furrowed her eyebrows looking at a man in his early twenties propped against Klaus' table while looking her up and down with not even as much as a glint of shame behind his gaze. "And who the hell are _you_?"

She watched him chuckle and shrug while rolling her eyes impatiently in response. Caroline could swear that he seemed somewhat familiar, but then again – a lot of people were working under the same roof she did and she probably simply rubbed shoulders with him in the elevator on her previous visits.

"Do you have a meeting with Mister Mikaelson?" Caroline wanted to get to the bottom of this as fast as possible since the tension building up between them in a complete silence was weighing her already heavy head down.

"And here comes the man himself!" He waved his hand at the general direction of the door making Caroline swing around just to almost bump into Klaus. And what was even worse – he was carrying a coffee cup in his hand that causing her to have a very vivid flashback that pierced right through her skull. "Why didn't you tell me, dear brother, that you had such a perky secretary working for you?"

_Brother? _Caroline looked from Klaus back to the man grinning widely. Come to think of it, he looked a lot like a younger and less restrained version of Klaus; his eyes had that twinkle in them and he never seemed to stop grinning even though if that grin was less sinister and more sarcastic.

"I'm not a secretary." Caroline finally answered as Klaus still seemed to eye her with all the disdain in the world probably having the same kind of a flashback that she did. "My name is Caroline Forbes and I'm mister Mikaelson's assistant."

"Assistant, huh?—" He took few steps towards her and stopped only once a foot or two were separating them both to look into her eyes. It would've been far less awkward if she didn't look like a drunken panda with a messy hairdo; or maybe it would've had the exact same amount of awkwardness because him staring at her was honestly the most creepy and unflattering thing she had to witness. "— Niklaus, lets bet on how long does it take for you to drive this one off with your intolerable behavior. Do you reckon she will cry just as the previous one did?"

"What do you want, Kol?" Klaus' question sounded like more of a groan making it perfectly clear that he wasn't all that excited to see his brother.

"Rebekah sent me, actually. She's having one of her fits again because you, apparently, sabotaged Marcel's campaign." Caroline knew momentarily that she was getting a little scoop of just who exactly Mikaelson family was behind the curtains. And since all eyes weren't on her she took that chance to retreat to her corner and pretend to be occupied with a stack of documents.

"I merely revealed the truth that was about to get out with my help or without it." She heard Klaus answer nonchalantly and saw him going to his table with a corner of her eye. "And it's not my fault that Rebekah can't seem to find a decent man for herself."

"Amen to that." Kol sighed mockingly and shook his head before taking a look around the office just to have his gaze stop on the portrait hanging on the wall. "Yet she's not the only love-struck fool, Nik - I see you still have Tatia's painting on your wall and that, brother dearest, is just pathetic."

Caroline tilted her head maybe a bit too fast to make it look subtle and the first thing she saw was Klaus' icy-blue gaze piercing right through her. Whatever that mystery woman was it was more than clear that Klaus didn't want everyone knowing about her; or maybe it was about the fact that it proven him to have human feelings and apparently that idea was simply preposterous. Caroline lowered her gaze and flipped through the binder dramatically as if trying to show that she had more important things to do than eavesdrop.

"Well, that was awkward." Kol rubbed the back of his neck in that almost innocent boyish manner and chuckled. "Come on, Nik, Elijah wants us to have breakfast together. And I already checked your calendar and I know that you have no plans until later in the afternoon."

Caroline watched to two disappear through the door but it was not before Kol stopped and winked at her in a manner that made Caroline feel somewhat violated and she had to hug herself tightly. Alright, well maybe she was exaggerating just a tad, but it still didn't change the fact that she felt like a schoolgirl with two bullies never missing a chance to pull her pigtails. There was a time when that bully was Damon, but now he seemed like a saint in comparison with the Mikaelsons.

Inhaling deeply Caroline managed to gather enough strength to push herself up from the comfort of the chair and made her way towards the same painting that caught her eye the day before. Name _Tatia_ was spinning around in her head as she ran her fingers across the canvas, feeling every bump and rough patch of the paint until her eyes caught something else in the very corner of the painting. It didn't take her long to realize that it was a signature and that it read _Niklaus_ scribbled in a disheveled manner. So it wasn't just a painting, it was _his_ painting and now she could understand why it was so detailed and why the woman in it was pictured as a goddess – she was someone special to Klaus yet someone who wasn't in his life anymore even though it seemed that he refused to admit it.

Caroline was lost so deep in thought that her phone had to ring for a couple of times before she even realized it. Fishing the phone out of the pocket she quickly clicked the button and pressed it to her ear before even noticing the name on the screen, her gaze still focused on the painting.

"Caroline Forbes." She never heard herself sounding more distracted and uninterested yet uncovering the secret seemed to be taking her mind more and more with every second.

"Not the greeting I was expecting for, but I can go with it." The voice coming from the phone made Caroline forget the painting completely as widest of smiles curved her lips.

"Stefan!" She squealed in excitement and jogged back to her chair just to curl up in a little ball and hug her legs tightly. "I thought you got eaten by the bears! Where are you, by the way? Alaska? Peru? Siberia?"

"New Orleans, actually. I was feeling like having a glass of bourbon on the Bourbon Street." That being told, Caroline could actually hear chatter and music of a saxophone somewhere in the background, bringing the memories of them dreaming of visiting New Orleans together back when they were both in high school. Stefan was one of the dearest friends Caroline had; actually he was more like a brother to her and even if he left MysticFalls right after graduation, they never lost contact.

"Isn't it like… Eight in the morning there?" She questioned with a giggle, envying him the freedom to do whatever he wanted.

"The best time to get drunk if you ask me." She heard him swallow and moments later a sound of a liquid being poured into the glass made her roll her eyes.

"I'm contemplating that, actually. Maybe I should get drunk every day before work so to make it at least bearable?" It came out like more of a pout and Caroline hated the fact that she was complaining so much and to everyone who actually listened. Elena, Josh, Jesse and now Stefan who was having a time of his life were all forced to hear her ramble.

"Joys of being an adult. Cheers to that." Another gulp followed his sentence, yet that time he sounded more serious than before. "And now I want you to tell me all about your sorrows."

"Well, I'm working for an arrogant British prick in one of the most prestigious law firms here, so I don't know whether I should be happy about it or should I complain." Her sentence was accompanied by a sigh as Caroline herself was still debating if it was wise not to acknowledge the fact that she at least wasn't working as a waitress. "Mikaelsons my ass…"

"Mikaelsons? As in _Klaus_ Mikaelson?" She could almost feel that Stefan's interest was peaked.

"The one and only." Her eyebrow rose subconsciously and she lowered her feet back onto the ground, staring at a wall in front and awaiting for Stefan's answer that never came. "And what about him?"

"We lived in the same dorm back in Chicago's college. And let me tell you – those were magical years." She heard Stefan chuckle and it helped her jog her memory as there was a time in Stefan's life when he couldn't stop talking about that one guy he met in college until an extent where she had to offer him to get a room. The name was never something that she paid attention to; to be precise she didn't pay much attention to Stefan's sharing either as it always revolved about parties, bars and seas of alcohol.

"So he's the one who tainted your pure and innocent soul until a point of no repair?" Caroline snickered sarcastically, yet there was no denying that little pieces of information she got during that day sparked her interest and made the whole experience that much easier just because she got something to be distracted from dull paperwork with.

"Precisely. Listen, Caroline, I'll tell you all about it next time, my date is here." The line broke before Caroline could protest and she was yet again left alone in a complete silence.

Her eyes trailed from his desk to the painting and then to the phone still in her hand. Chewing on her lower lip in thought she tried to explain to herself just why he provoked such an unhealthy interest in her, but Caroline had nothing. She was always overly-obsessed with the smallest of things and she learned to live with it without even bothering to question her intentions. And slowly yet assuringly he was turning into one of her projects.


	5. Chapter 5

"Happy birthday, Caroline!"

The sound of the keys falling onto the floor was completely obliterated by laughter and cheering that came from her living room. A bottle of champagne popped and confetti paved the floor and got tangled in her curls as Caroline watched her friends with her lips parted in a silent awe. She saw Jeremy with his hand around Bonnie's waist and Elena resting her head on Damon's shoulder with a widest of smiles curving her lips. Stefan, dressed in his leather jacket and aviator glasses, was pouring champagne into plastic cups that Matt was handing over to him. The only person who wasn't there was Tyler and Caroline couldn't help herself but feel disappointed amongst all other things.

"You guys…" Was all she managed to say before running to her friends and pulling Bonnie and Elena into a hug while tears were rolling down her cheeks. She could see Damon shrugging as Jeremy cast a questioning look his way, but both were quite used to all three of them crying, laughing and mumbling after not seeing each other for what felt like an eternity. Caroline giggled and wiped a tear from her cheek, trying not to show just how desperately tired she was. It has been a week since she started working in the firm and all she was looking for that Friday night was a cup of cocoa and a sappy romance movie.

The work — she had to admit — wasn't as bad as she initially thought. True – she was spending her days in Klaus' office while going through files, but after some time she learned to appreciate the opportunity to study every case Klaus ever had, looking into every detail that didn't fail to slip his mind, reading every note he scribbled in the corner of the page. What made it even easier was the fact that she would see Klaus for about twenty minutes every day and even then they wouldn't talk much except for an occasional _'it's time for a coffee run, love'_ or something even more diminishing that made her roll her eyes after turning her back on him.

"Alright girls, we all know by now that you're emotional and fragile." Damon's voice laced with thick sarcasm echoed through the room interrupting both the hug and Caroline's thoughts. "Less talking more drinking is the motto."

Caroline could see Elena casting an angry look at Damon and that made her giggle just because everything felt to be the same just as it used to before; no matter that only for a minute. Everyone stood there and smiled like lunatics while Stefan was handing out plastic cups and trying to form everyone into a perfect circle even though the couch and her clothes lying on the floor were in the way.

"To Caroline!" All of them exclaimed making her giggle and just as Caroline was about to raise the cup to her lips an annoying sound of her phone slashed the fun into pieces.

"Hello?" She furrowed her eyebrows and stepped out into the corridor as the chatter made it difficult to concentrate.

"Care to explain why you're not at the office, love?" She heard the voice and the accent helped her to realize just who exactly the unknown caller was.

"Because it's Friday night and my shift ended few hours ago?" She answered almost aggressively, not at all appreciating the fact that Klaus was not only killing eight hours of her day but also trying to ruin the rest or her life as well.

"Let's put it this way – if you're not here in half an hour you don't need to bother with coming in on Monday." Caroline's eyes widened in a protest but the call was ended long ago before she managed to think of a witty reply.

She dragged her feet back into the living room and collapsed onto the couch with a sigh and a loud curse, burying her face in her hands in frustration.

"What's wrong?" It was Bonnie who hooked her arm around Caroline's shoulders after an uncomfortable silence dawned on the room. Caroline could almost see everyone casting questioning looks at each other until someone decided it was for the best to simply ask.

"I'm quitting. That jerk just called me into work threatening to fire me if I don't drag my ass back there in the middle of the night." She blurted out — almost screamed it out loud — jumping up form the couch as the realization hit her – she would quit as the work even if in the prestigious firm wasn't worth it. "He won't fire me! I will slam my resignation right into his face! And then I will just… punch him!"

"Woah, blondie!" Damon raised his hands into the air as if in defense while smirking just slightly and making her blood boil that much more. God, she sometimes hated the guy – his sarcasm and his carelessness about all things that matter was uncanny. "No matter how much I love all things rebellious, don't you think that being homeless and having a lawsuit on your ass would be a bit too much?"

"Back off, Damon." Caroline hissed making her way towards the door. She could almost feel veins popping in her head and a huge disappointment settling in the marrows of her bones. Just a moment ago she was so happy she cried, real tears and everything, and now she was about to leave her friends whom she didn't see for months just to go back to that dark corner of hell. "I won't be long. Help yourself to a bottle of tequila that's under my bed."

Before anyone could reply or interfere, Caroline was already out of the door and into the stairway, the determination in her step that she had back in the apartment already fading away. She was like a quick-fire – getting impulsive and reckless in a matter of moments yet it wouldn't hold for long leaving her all burned out and heavily depressed.

…

"What are you? A vampire?" Caroline stormed into the office that was pitch-black; even the blinds were shut as if dark night sky wasn't enough to create a perfectly creepy atmosphere. Without hesitation she turned the light switch to the maximum, watching Klaus — who by the way was sitting on the floor — rub his eyes with the back of his hand while Caroline was secretly expecting his retinas were burning off. The unusual setting wasn't what caught her immediate attention - it was almost empty bottle of scotch that she noticed making her roll her eyes in annoyance but at the same time helping her understand the devil behind this charade. "And don't tell me you're drunk, Klaus. I'm so not in the mood for this."

"Took you long enough, love." He finally spoke, dismissing her questions and accusations completely as if she was something not important; — well, at least he still had that lovely attitude of his. "I need that file from my desk."

Caroline watched him motion his hand towards few papers lying literally a step away from him but he wasn't bothered to stand up and take them himself. At some point Caroline felt her jaw drop in realization – she was there just because he was too drunk and too lazy to pull away from his spot and she was too stupid to actually fall for this.

"Are you freaking kidding me?!" She snapped, her voice rising by few octaves and making him flinch – the sight quite pleasing to her angry eye. "I was at home! Having champagne with my friends I haven't seen for months and you dragged me here with your pompous and arrogant threats just because you need a damn file that is inches away?"

Her lips were pursed into a thin line as Caroline crossed her arms on her chest almost defensively, waiting for him to burst into alcohol-fueled rage. Quite frankly she wanted him to as that would've helped her to make up her mind and actually leave because no matter what – she was still hesitant to do so and it was both inconvenient and quite worrisome. Yet he was simply sitting there and staring at a wall in front, not even bothering to look at her or acknowledge her fury that was nowhere even near invisible. There he was – leaning his back to the wall right under Tatia's painting with his fingers wrapped around the bottle, his jacket unbuttoned and his tie loosened up. For some reason the sight of how pathetic he looked was diminishing her rage and awakening her sympathy for the man.

With an overly-exaggerated sigh Caroline walked towards the table and grabbed the file before dropping it into Klaus' lap. She decided to be the bigger person there and to get this over with so that her birthday party could go on and she would also have a valid reason to ask for a raise on Monday. Even though she didn't want to admit that, she felt somewhat responsible for him getting back home safely, but this was out of the question and she was done with being charitable towards those who wouldn't appreciate it the next day.

"You know what I still can't understand? Why a man would just kill his wife?" She heard Klaus' voice, his tone completely different from the one that was always laced with sarcasm and hostility and only that made her stop while she was almost out of the office. Taking a deep breath she looked at him over her shoulder, watched him flip through the pages and couldn't help but smile because his interest was so genuine that even his forehead was wrinkled in thought.

"Well, maybe she used to call him in the middle of the night and then boss him around?" Caroline answered jokingly, failing to acknowledge the fact that someone's death was a very poor excuse to prove her point.

"Though I understand the rage—" Klaus carried on as if she never said a word that would be worthy of his attention. "—the rage is always there – pumping through your veins, making you lose your mind and ignore your better judgment. And no matter how much you try to cling to the beauty of the moment there's only one truth – in the end we're left infinitely and utterly alone. Too bad it takes such a long time to realize it."

By that time Caroline was well aware that he wasn't talking about that macabre murder case anymore. Klaus' fingers were still traveling across the lines upon lines of text printed on the page, but his eyes were closed and his expression was somewhat grievous - contrary to his cold, emotionless and sober self. She had to admit – there was something enticing about the enigma that was Klaus unraveling right in front of her eyes even though it was more subconsciously and less intended. Even though she was already regretting this, Caroline spun around on her heel and made her way towards Klaus' desk, taking a seat on the corner that wasn't covered with documents and books. She saw him opening his eyes slowly and his gaze meeting hers for the first time that night, gaze filled with sorrow and heartbreaking sadness that she never thought him being capable of. Something about him losing his mask even for a short while still kept her there – her eyes glued on his while the silence dawned on them interrupted only by the sirens and cars outside.

"You know, I think that we're just as alone as we want to be." She finally spoke after clearing her throat and looking away from that piercing gaze of his; even in the complete silence he managed to make her uncomfortable. "It's more of a lifestyle than destiny and maybe that's exactly why he killed his wife – he wasn't quite ready to face it."

"Or maybe he wasn't ready for a heartbreak that all love stories lead to and instead he decided to take matters into his own hands." He responded before taking a swig out of the bottle, his previously sharp gaze turning into one clouded with thoughts.

"Well, then it's safe to say that he's a coward and an idiot." Caroline answered nonchalantly, her shoulders moving in a little shrug. Somehow she didn't see that tragic story as something poetic or something that should be analyzed – it was so clear in her mind that the man was nothing but a killer and no love story — no matter how tragic — would justify what he did.

Klaus, however, didn't seem to share the same opinion as he snapped out of a drunken daze and jumped up to his feet in an eye blink, startling Caroline and making her clench the desk in alarm. Something about her words, probably, pushed all the wrong buttons in his head as she saw his jaw clench so tight that she could count all the bones in his face right then and there. She tried to explain his rash behavior, but no better reason than alcohol could cross her mind.

"There's nothing cowardly about not wanting to have your heart broken. Grief is an unnecessary and petty emotion that stops us from achieving greatness." She heard him hiss, wandering whether it wasn't his own experience that he wasn't basing this argument on. Her gaze traveled from his wry face to his hand that was clenching the bottle with such strength that it made his knuckles white. At that point she was truly afraid of what could happen as everything about him that evening was completely unpredictable. Few curses crossed her mind as she thought that she could've been home by then if not for her sick interest of seeing what made Klaus' mind tick.

"Was it her?" She murmured silently, unable to bite her tongue and once again falling into the trap set by her own impulsive self. It was too late, though, as she saw Klaus turn his head to look at her, wrath embedded into his features. "The girl in the painting? Did she make you chase greatness that doesn't exist while getting rid of every emotion because you thought of it as _useless_?"

It was as if she set the timer to the bomb herself – his expression changed from wrath to astonishment and then to a white-hot rage in moments. Bottle that was still in his hand smashed against the wall as Klaus threw it all the way across the room making Caroline jump down from the desk and wishing she could hug herself and make it all disappear. In a matter of moments Klaus was right in front of her and even if she tried to take a step back the desk blocked her path and she leaned back on it as far away from Klaus as she could, but he mirrored her by leaning even closer until there were only inches separating them.

"Don't deceive yourself by thinking that you know what I am." He hissed, his breath lingering on her skin and his anger so thick she could almost taste it on the very tip of her tongue.

"Klaus, you're scaring me." She murmured, trying to push him away with her hands on his chest, but it seemed like the man was as solid as a brick wall and she could feel shiver running up and down her spine. "Let me go. Please."

For a moment there they simply stared at each other and the beating of her heart was ringing in her ears louder than any noise she ever heard. Her breathing got more and more uneven as countless scenarios ran through her mind, yet it was the unknown that was more frightening than her vivid imagination. After a moment she squeezed her eyes shut as the tension was too unbearable to witness yet at that same time Caroline felt his body moving away and heard footsteps that were receding with every second and by the time she could open her eyes again he was gone.

Caroline took a deep breath and slid with her back against the desk until she was sitting on the floor with her face buried in her hands. Her heart was still beating like crazy even though she tried to focus on the fact that everything — whatever it was — was over. For a moment there she expected him to run back into the office and start trashing it until the point of no repair, but there was nothing.

Looking at the shards of broken glass she still couldn't swallow the fear down. Caroline was truly afraid of the man, but at the same time he reminded her of a wounded animal trying to fight until its last breath, trying to chase everyone who comes near away.

She indeed felt something she could only describe as pity for the man so tragically angry and lonely that he wasn't even in control of it anymore.


	6. Chapter 6

Weekend ended unexpectedly and Caroline had no other choice but to take a sick leave once Monday came, coughing into the phone and feeling bad just because she could hear concern lacing Elijah's words. He was so understanding that it made her flinch while scolding herself for lying to him; differently from his younger brother, Elijah deserved all the respect Caroline could give him. Truth was that Caroline wasn't ready to go back and face Klaus after everything that happened on that ill-fated Friday night. She would sometimes remember Klaus' mournful gaze changing into rage just because she was stupid enough to let her wide mouth get in the way of strictly business-like relationship. Whatever was it she tried to achieve failed miserably and Caroline needed some time to cope.

Even if all of her friends stayed in New York for the weekend, Caroline's gloomy mood was in the way of having good time and blowing off some steam. Yes, she sat there with a cake in front of her and she blew out the candles, and she giggled with them, but at the same time her head was cursed with a mood that was nowhere near festive. And after she kissed them all goodbye — not Damon, off course — and watched them board the plane, Caroline could drop her mellow act and go back home to write the letter of resignation. Floors of the kitchen were littered with scraps of paper that she torn just because it simply didn't seem right. She wrote hundreds of them, her reason for leaving varying from blunt lies about personal emergencies to raw and naked truth detailed in three pages worth of text.

Truth to be told – she felt somewhat cowardly while trying to think for a reason to leave; it was almost as if she was trying to talk herself into it, even if deep inside Caroline didn't want to go anywhere. Maybe it was her steel determination that helped her walk through life and achieve everything she wanted, or maybe it was Kol's little bet about her leaving. The idea that Klaus drove off every person who worked for him away was bothering her as she didn't want to be just the same as they were. And so, after spending few days while considering it, Caroline made up her mind that she would go back there once the timing was right.

And until then she spent her evenings while soaking in the bathtub with a glass of red wine and jazz playing in the background.

…

"So you're still going to work for him?" Bonnie was the only person Caroline told about her unfortunate encounter with Klaus to and so it wasn't completely unexpected that even while talking over the phone Caroline could hear her shrivel.

"Bonnie Bennett, you know me well enough to realize that I love the challenge." She answered as casually as one could while browsing through the dresses hanging on the rack in one of her favorite stores.

She sacrificed the whole week while contemplating her own existential dilemma and being torn apart by her choices simply not feeling right; at that point Caroline Forbes had enough. In addition to that, a very fancy invitation to a masquerade ball somehow found its way to her mailbox that morning, sending her to venture through every store in the ten mile radius from her house. Halloween was coming and apparently the Mikaelsons enjoyed a classy ball that she — being a sucker for such type of events — simply couldn't refuse.

"I just hope you know when to stop." Caroline knew that her friend was worried, but she couldn't allow herself to be truthful and tell her that she was just as worried herself. Caroline knew when to pretend and when to be honest, and once it came to peace of her friends' minds she would sacrifice her own well-being just to keep them blissfully oblivious.

"Seriously, Bonnie, what do you think will happen? He will murder me and then weasel his way out of jail just because he's such a brilliant lawyer?" Caroline chuckled and took a deeper breath after a silent chuckle from the other end of the phone followed hers. She knew that few silly jokes weren't enough to put Bonnie's mind at ease, yet Caroline would rather die trying.

"Alright… Tell me all about your costume." The question made Caroline's eyes light up with excitement because she felt in her own element when talking about dresses, masks and masquerades. Especially when her hand was clenching the material of the dress so stunningly beautiful that it made her feel better just by looking at it.

"Think _Marie Antoinette meets classy courtesan_." Caroline looked at the dress for the last time, trying to find any flaws or to think for a reason why she shouldn't spend hundreds of dollars on a thing she'd wear only once, but there was nothing. "And it's not all about the costume, Bonnie; it's also about the fact that I will have my King Louis accompany me."

"Who's the poor guy, Caroline?" She could hear that judgmental note in Bonnie's voice, note that made her roll her eyes.

"Don't worry, Bon Bon, he's just this guy I met at the bar few weeks ago." Caroline decided to let the fact that she woke up next to him the following morning slip her mind. It might've been awkward to see the guy who was supposed to be nothing but a drunken mistake, but something about him made her want to come back.

Caroline remembered coming back from work that day just to find a note on her fridge with his telephone number. Even though her first intention was to throw it away just like her memories from that night, the day came when she simply dialed the number and had a conversation that lasted for the better part of the night. To Caroline's surprise, she didn't feel awkward or uncomfortable at all; maybe because neither mentioned that night or maybe because — just as she initially thought — he was a perfectly charming man and there was more to him than just a one-night stand she thought him to be.

"I just hope you're happy, Caroline." She heard Bonnie say and couldn't help herself but love the girl that much more. Bonnie was one of those friends who'd always put others first and herself second in every situation and even if Caroline felt guilty because she enjoyed it, she couldn't help but adore her with every cell in her body.

"Always am." Caroline made her way towards the counter and watched as her dress was placed into the bag and the digits in the cash register made her bite her lip in doubt. "Sorry, Bonnie, I have to run and spend some more of my almost nonexistent funds. Talk to you later!"

"Be safe." She heard Bonnie say before the line broke and she slipped the phone into her purse before fishing her wallet out and hesitantly handing her credit card to the clerk.

…

Their car pulled by the plaza and Caroline had to take a second to observe it in an awe. She'd been in her fair share of parties and balls, but this one seemed to be the cherry on the very top of her social events cake. Blue and red spotlights illuminated the exterior of a building so luxurious it seemed to be fit for royal weddings and other gatherings well out of Caroline's range; but she was there and she was ready to indulge.

"You didn't tell me that you were friends with the president." Caroline heard Jesse's voice snapping her out of her own daze of admiration.

"Please, I'm the queen of France; they are friends with me, not the other way around." She answered as nonchalantly as she could and waved her hand in a dismissive manner making Jesse laugh.

Without further ado he got out of the car and made his way around so to open the door for Caroline. He watched her while she gathered handfuls of material of her skirt and finally managed to get out with as much dignity as she could as that wasn't the prettiest of sights. The dress was perfect – turquoise green with silver embroidery yet the top part was a corset that made it nearly impossible to breathe while the bottom contained out of waterfalls of material that she stepped on every now and then. But when it came to looking as good as she did, the menial matters of comfort were irrelevant.

Caroline let her hair fall on her bare shoulders in loose curls and fixed it before putting on her black lace masquerade mask and winking flirtatiously at Jesse who, at that time, had his lips parted in a silent awe.

"Shall we?" She wrapped her arm around his and off they went, following the red carpet that led to the entrance guarded by harlequins on stilts.

"I'm not sure I know how to react." She heard Jesse murmur into her ear as they stepped inside and took in the interior that was even more breathtaking. Apart from everyone looking like royalty of the highest caliber, the space itself was decorated with golden chandeliers and fountains, sculptures and paintings that made Caroline take one deep breath before turning her head to Jesse.

"No wild monkey dancing for us tonight." She whispered with a grin curving her delicate features. No matter how glamorous she looked, she still felt like an outsider in the crowd of lawyers and _crème-de-la-crème_ of New York all gathered in one ballroom. Waiters were circling the room and as soon as one was close enough she snatched two crystal glasses of Champagne and emptied hers in one gulp.

"Miss Forbes." The familiar voice made her jump and she spun around just to come face-to-face with Elijah dressed like King Henry and looking like he just stepped out of the painting. "I'm glad you could join us."

"Couldn't miss it, milord." She answered with the widest of smiles and watched him as he nodded and blended into the crowd to start conversing with people in a casual yet refined manner. As soon as he was out of the picture Caroline exhaled and dropped the act, rolling her eyes theatrically while looking at Jesse who did exactly the same.

Yes, Caroline Forbes was a social butterfly who loved parties and especially masquerade balls, but every each one she attended before were college student parties or founders' events back in Mystic Falls; gatherings where even the members of city council were just her neighbors whom she saw every day while living their ordinary lives. That ball, on the other hand, looked like something that Cinderella attended to and look how it ended – with her clothes turning to rags after midnight and her running back home with only one shoe on.

"How about another drink?" Jesse probably noticed her biting her lower lip nervously and she couldn't be more grateful because of that. One short nod later both were maneuvering through the crowd towards the bar, smiling charmingly and greeting everyone in their way even if that probably was the first and the last time they'd ever see them.

"Vodka, straight." She ordered and turned around to look at the quartet of violinists on the stage who were playing a very slow but emotional tune to warm up the crowd. A microphone stood in the very middle and she saw Elijah making his way towards it; probably for a formal speech that only seemed to be fit for that evening.

"Dear friends, I welcome you to our annual Masquerade ball." A wave of clapping rolled through the crowd accompanied by silent cheers and laughter. "And as every year, I invite you to join us for a dance."

The music silenced Caroline's gasp as she could barely walk in the dress, what to talk about dancing in it. But everyone seemed to be pairing up and there were no dark corners Caroline could retreat to until this was over. Jesse offered her his hand and she took it reluctantly, still wishing she could've gotten to that glass of vodka a bit earlier. Everyone was standing in the middle of the floor in an almost mathematical precision and as soon as they found the spot Jesse slithered his hand around her waist while smiling charmingly. She saw his lips move in what seemed like _'don't worry, I've got you' _and that was enough to take the bigger part of the edge away.

Caroline was grateful for her dance lessons back when she was competing for the title of Miss Mystic as it prevented her from stepping onto someone's toes as they swirled and twirled in the crowd of other people. Jesse wasn't that bad of a dancer even if his posture was somewhat stiff and she could see his forehead crinkling as if counting the steps. She had to give him credit, though – after all she pulled him out of a comfortable nothingness of a casual Friday night and pushed him into a feast where he had to look his best and behave accordingly. Caroline made herself a mental note to buy him a beer and a burger afterwards.

Music started changing from a slow rhythm to one growing a bit faster and as the tempo reached its peak Jesse spun her around, leading her to the other dance partner just as it was done back in the older days. Yet even in her worst case scenarios — that consisted of her tripping and falling or bumping into the wall — Caroline didn't imagine that she would end up in the arms of Klaus Mikaelson himself.

What was more stunning than his classy appearance was the fact that he sported his usual smirk that got even wider after their eyes met. He looked nothing like a broken angry man that she saw a week ago, he didn't even look like her pretentious pain-in-the-behind boss that she used to curse every night before going to bed. True – he still had that smug smirk plastered all over his features, yet there was also a lively spark behind his eyes that made her wonder just how exactly he could live his life with so many masks stashed in his closet.

"Kol will be the most upset when he realizes that he lost his bet." She heard him murmur into her ear, his lips only inches away, making her shiver in discomfort.

"That will teach him a lesson that betting against me is never in his favor." She answered as casually as she could, allowing a most innocent of smiles to slip onto her lips. "And I'm still waiting for an apology, by the way."

Whether it was because they were surrounded by a mass of people of because she decided that her job was not worth being walked over for, Caroline felt determined not to let their last meeting slide as if it never happened. Actually, she was determined not to even pretend to tolerate his appalling behavior anymore, but that didn't seem to affect Klaus at all.

"Careful, love, don't make a scene." He whispered and even that silent whisper was laced in sarcasm.

"Well that would be very inconvenient for you, wouldn't it?" She answered without hesitation, not letting him or his words get under her skin.

Even if she thought that Jesse was a good dancer, she had to admit that Klaus was a million times better. He led her through the floor so graciously that at some point it felt like they and the music became one entity and it all felt just as natural as breathing. And no matter that the closeness felt very uncomfortable, she did her best to follow that little game of power they were playing.

"And lets agree on one thing, I'm not your _love_ or your _sweetheart_, or your _darling_ —" She mimicked his accent while pronouncing every word with just the right amount of spite. "— my name is Caroline and that is exactly how you will call me from now on."

She could feel his shoulders move in a hearty laughter and it made her blood boil just because the man wasn't capable of taking anything seriously. His grip on her back got just a bit firmer as she was pulled even closer to him, the gesture that pushed the air out of her lungs in surprise.

"And what makes you think that I care, _love_?" She could feel his breath on her neck and the smell of his perfume tickling her nose.

"Because I'm sure that you weren't born a world-class jerk that you're trying to be. Show some respect." She always wanted to use that phrase and it felt like the situation was befitting. At some point she felt like she was in an old-school mafia movie, no matter how silly it was; off course the idea of threatening him that he'll _'sleep with the fishes'_ crossed her mind at least twice, but she managed to bite her tongue in time. "And now, if you'll excuse me, I need a drink."

And just like that, even if the song was still playing and people were still dancing, Caroline pulled away from Klaus and left him standing in the very middle of the dance floor while she slowly — but determinately — made her way through the crowd and towards the bar.


	7. Chapter 7

"Is everything alright, Miss Forbes?" Caroline heard Elijah's voice and watched him make his way from the door to the very end of the balcony she was standing at. He was carrying his mask in one hand and a drink in the other while sporting his usual calming smile that made Caroline relax just a little; something about that man worked the same magic that a big cup of hot chocolate did.

"I just needed some fresh air." She answered, feeling a cool gust of October wind playing with her hair and making her shiver just because she wasn't smart enough to bring a jacket. "And I think everyone was giving me looks for drinking straight vodka instead of indulging myself in a fifty year old _chardonnay_."

"They are a tough crowd to please." For the first time she saw Elijah laugh and appreciated that moment as a man seemed to be carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders; a moment of relaxation suited him.

With that thought Caroline averted her gaze from him to the majestic skyline of New York that twinkled and sparkled with lit windows and traffic lights. It was a beautiful city full of opportunities and at the same time it was Caroline's Everest that she sometimes felt too tired to climb. Tracing a finger across the rim of her still full glass she bit her lip and wondered whether coming there was the best or the most stupid thing she ever did.

"These parties were something my little sister would look forward to every year. And now she doesn't even want to show her face here anymore." Elijah leaned to the same pillar Caroline did, playing lazily with his glass before taking a sip. His expression changed from peaceful mirth to concern in a matter of seconds.

"What happened?" Caroline dared to question and it was not because she wanted to get a better insight in Mikaelson family but because it felt like Elijah needed it.

"Every family has its skeletons in their closets, Miss Forbes. And we created them ourselves." It was like a one big riddle Caroline wasn't sharp enough to crack. She tried to read his expression but it was as if carved in stone – a trait that the whole family seemed to share. Another gust of wind came and went, leaving her skin all covered in goose bumps and making her hug herself just to feel a bit warmer. However as soon as she wrapped her hands around her tiny frame, a soft and warm material landed on her shoulders; it was Elijah who took off his King Henry jacket leaving him in a white shirt, but it didn't seem to bother him.

"King Henry and Marie Antoinette? What a scandal." Caroline blurted out without even thinking and momentarily her cheeks blushed in bright red. And yet he didn't look at her like she was crazy but simply smiled and took another sip.

"And yet Rebekah isn't whom I'm concerned the most about. Yes, she makes stupid choices every step of the way, but at least she lives her life to the fullest." Just as she thought that their conversation was as good as over, Elijah's steady soothing voice broke the silence once again. "Niklaus is the one who doesn't know how to live at all; but he loves to pretend."

"One day you will have to learn to put yourself first, Mister Mikaelson." It was what Caroline always used to say to Bonnie when she tried to take care of everyone around her before even looking at herself. The phrase was embedded in her brain and she deemed it fit in that situation as well.

"Miss Forbes, you're probably the only child, aren't you?" A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as she nodded sheepishly. "Family always comes first for me and it will; always and forever."

Elijah's tone was laced in thought and what seemed like sadness as Caroline bit her lip before a question she was itching to ask could leave her mouth. Curiosity was Caroline's biggest enemy and even is she was well aware, it wasn't enough to stop her from asking questions or meddling in matters she had no business in. It was as if the more she heard about something, the more interested she became. And since Elijah was feeding her bits and pieces of their history, she became hungrier and hungrier with every word.

"Who was Tatia?" Her question was not at all subtle and she noticed Elijah turning his head to look at her with one eyebrow raised. "If you don't mind me asking, off course."

"She was Niklaus' high school sweetheart." He finally answered, dragging the words somewhat reluctantly as if he was supposed to keep it a secret, but probably because Caroline didn't drop her jaw in amazement or interrupted him with her questions was what kept him going. "They got engaged while in college even if our parents opposed that idea every step of the way. In all honesty, their relationship was somewhat Shakespearean."

"Shakespearean?" Now it was Caroline's brow that rose in question. Yes, she was amazed by the fact that Klaus was engaged and that he had human feelings to begin with, but it was Elijah's description of their relationship that triggered her interest.

"Two years ago Tatia disappeared when it was only a week left until their wedding. Niklaus scoured the earth while looking for her even if her own family proclaimed her dead and built a tombstone above an empty grave." Now was the time when Caroline's jaw dropped, but she masked it by taking a big gulp of vodka and rather focusing on the burning taste than the story that was only fit for movies.

The silence that dawned on both of them was broken by a loud creek of the door and a wave of chatter and laughter that came from the inside.

"'Lijah, I thought you'd be here – as far away form all the fun as you can be." Caroline spun on her heel just to see Kol strutting towards them dressed as a modern-day Casanova; he even had lipstick marks on his shirt and his cheeks that left Caroline wandering whether it was a part of his get-up or a little parting gift from someone he wooed behind the curtains. "Mayor wants to have a word, brother. And I know that the man doesn't like to wait."

"You'll have to excuse me, Miss Forbes." Elijah finished his drink and put the mask back on before making his way to Kol who threw his arm around Elijah's shoulders and both of them retreated back into the loud and bright room bubbling with casual conversations.

No matter how much Caroline actually enjoyed spending time while alone in the balcony and as far away as possible from the so-called fun, she knew that the inevitable was coming – it was time to go back inside and make her way through the crowd to find Jesse and return to her usual routine where she was no queen and drinks were not served on silver trays. It was somewhat disappointing that the glamour and luxurious life failed to make an impression she was expecting for, yet it made it that much easier no to look back or to complain that the casualty was boring. Truth be told – snotty and shallow balls had nothing on her _pizza-and-cheep-beer_ parties that everyone seemed to enjoy more than the crowd in this particular gathering.

Running a hand through her curls Caroline stepped into the ballroom scanning the crowd with a hope to see Jesse mingling with other people, yet he didn't seem to be there. Furrowing her eyebrows she stood still, hoping oh so much that her sudden disappearance didn't send the one person she genuinely liked back home. She saw Madam de Pompadour and Anne Boleyn, Salvador Dali and King Henry yet nowhere in that crowd had she seen her entourage and that made Caroline bit her lower lip in disappointment; after all – there was always strength in numbers.

With Elijah's words still ringing in her ears, Caroline's gaze froze on Klaus who was talking to a little circle of women, every each one giggling uncontrollably as if they had laughing gas for breakfast. And only for a moment she forgot Jesse and all the disappointment that was clouding her head, taking a long good look at the man she so despised before and was so conflicted about now. It was as if she was witnessing a predator from a safe distance – something about him, his posture and his movements, was alluring yet she would never feel comfortable around him without a generous distance separating the two. He indeed looked perfectly charming with his usual smirk embedded into his features and Caroline could somewhat see why he was elected as a most desirable bachelor in one of those trashy magazines that always had some sort of a contest just for the sake of it. It left her wandering, though, just why exactly he chose her as his punching bag even if he was more than capable of treating everyone with respect no matter if a fake one.

"Careful sweetheart, you wouldn't want to start drooling all over that fancy dress of yours." An accent and cockiness coming from behind her made Caroline put a face to the voice – Kol. She felt somewhat startled and offended at the same time, yet instead Caroline stood still not even bothering to look over her shoulder or respond for that matter. Even though he didn't say a thing, Caroline could feel Kol's presence right behind her, so close she could feel his breath on the back of her neck and that was nothing if not a violation of privacy; and boundaries.

"Do you mind?" She finally retorted, turning her head just a bit so to look at him – a perfect replica of Klaus yet more annoying than scary. "Stalking is a chargeable offense, you know."

"Don't flatter yourself." He almost purred, that snake-like tongue moving in his mouth slowly as if trying to draw every single word out with an unhealthy amount of satisfaction. "You are really not my type. And just to save you the disappointment – Niklaus prefers brunettes as well."

"Excuse me?" At that moment confusion overcame Caroline's demeanor as she tried to understand what exactly he was spouting about. Clenching the material of Elijah's jacket that was still on her shoulders she saw Kol's smirk growing into a widespread grin with every second that passed.

"Why so coy, miss Forbes?" Right after the question his fingers caught her messy blond curl, making Caroline grit her teeth. "All that staring at my brother teasing couple of girls… Is that a glint of jealousy that I see?"

"Keep your fingers to yourself." She hissed, slamming his hand with as much force she could muster, not at all worried that their little scene was bound to be witnessed by someone. "And judging from your obnoxious and sickening behavior, I have a feeling that you will be the only one to enjoy them for the rest of your life."

At some point Caroline felt like a child, stomping her foot and fuming until the point her face became crimson red, but in the end – it didn't really matter whatsoever. Without allowing Kol to open his mouth once again she spun around on her heel and rushed through the crowd, making her way towards the exit. She caught a glimpse of Klaus who had his full attention on Caroline with a corner of her eye, but even that didn't matter. Gathering the material of her dress so to make it easier to walk, Caroline maneuvered around circles of people, not bothered to elbow one or the other and for some reason it felt very satisfying. It wasn't Kol or his words that sent her over the edge, but rather the feeling of being simply bullied for no apparent reason as if she was a little girl in a sandbox with boys stomping all over her castles. The comparison itself was incredibly silly and maybe it was the fatigue and the stress that brought the worst in her — or maybe the fact that she was always a bit overly-dramatic — but there was no point in denying that all she wanted was to take off that stupid dress and curl up in her bed with a good book.

"I remember saying something about not making any scenes, love." It was Klaus' voice that caught up with her once she was finally out of the building and on her way to hail a cab.

"What could _you_ possibly want from me?" Caroline turned around to face him, so fed up with the Mikaelsons and their rotten attitude that they tried to sweeten up with smirks and royal accents.

"You'll have to pardon my brother; he gets a bit intolerable sometimes." Ignoring her question completely Klaus descended down the stairs with his hands behind his back.

"I'm not completely unfamiliar with the concept of someone being _intolerable_." Caroline accentuated the last word, keeping her tone of voice completely nonchalant. "Don't tell me you came to apologize for someone else's behavior. That would definitely ruin your image."

"Image?" Klaus' eyebrows rose in surprise followed by a laughter that sounded almost genuine. "Do tell – what that image would be?"

"One of a pompous ignorant ass." Caroline retorted without a doubt in her mind. It didn't even matter that it was her boss she was talking to, a man who could fire her with a snap of his fingers; after all – this would've been totally worth it.

"Is that what you really think of me?" He questioned her, his expression not exactly what she thought it would be. He was calm and instead of a pretentious smirk it was a smile that curved his lips. Few more steps were taken and he was standing right in front of her with maybe a foot or two separating them.

"That and then a bit more." Caroline cleared her throat and diverted her eyes to the building behind him just because that icy-blue gaze was distracting her from standing her ground. "Are we done yet?"

"Not quite." It was an answer Caroline was dreading of. It didn't seem like an evening could get any worse, yet there she was – cursing her boss to his face and yet he still had things to say. "You don't need to bother by coming to work on Monday, love."

Caroline's gaze darted back to him, eyes widened just slightly as she tried to read his expression. Not that it was something unexpected after all the scenes she caused and the harsh words she and Klaus shared, but at the same time a disappointment settled in the very marrows of her bones just because she was yet again unemployed and broke.

"Fine." She managed to say, not even bothering to question his motives as they were crystal clear as it was. Another second passed while they looked at one another, but it was already too much for Caroline to bear.

Without any hesitation, even though she felt a knot in the pit of her stomach, Caroline turned around but as she was about to start walking she felt Klaus' fingers wrapped around her wrist.

"Relax, love." He snickered, and she felt utterly confused. "We're opening a firm in San Francisco and you'll accompany me in the trip. Too bad that my pompous ignorant self will ruin your whole week while in one of the most beautiful cities in the world."

Upon those words he brushed his lips against the back of her hand - a gesture from old movies that lasted for only a fraction of the second but made Caroline completely mute. She stood there, watching him walking back to the door and disappearing behind them without another word said or another glance cast her way.

And things like these made it so much difficult for her to hate him.


	8. Chapter 8

Weekend came and went in what felt like an eye blink and after seven hours worth of flight and one taxi madness later Caroline was standing in the very middle of her hotel room with her lips parted in a silent awe. It wasn't as if she was expecting to live in a shady motel room, but the spaciousness and the décor of the hotel was definitely jaw-dropping. And it wasn't just the bedroom itself with a bed fit for at least four people, but the office and the living room, and even a small kitchen making the room into more of a presidential suite than a place for an assistant to live. Yet Caroline had no objections, as it was nice to escape her tiny crowded apartment if only for a week.

"Is this your room?" Caroline's open laptop was standing on her bed as she was unpacking and at the same time having a video chat with Elena. "They do take care of you, don't they?"

"I'm pretty sure they could afford to buy a small country, so at this point nothing surprises me." Caroline shrugged while taking out neat stacks of clothes and placing them on the shelves in her humongous closet that was spacious enough to accommodate all of possessions Caroline had over the years and then some more. "But I have a feeling that I won't spend a lot of time in the hotel as the schedule for the next week is plain crazy."

"Well, at least you'll be busy while the boredom is driving me crazy here." Casting a quick look at the screen Caroline saw Elena's lips formed in a pout and her eyebrows furrowed in dissatisfaction.

As far as Caroline could tell, Elena was often reconsidering her choice to stay behind in MysticFalls. The glamorous life with Damon was all nice and dandy on the paper, but in the reality they would barely see each other as his job always kept him traveling and Elena couldn't join him as often as she wanted because she was running her own little publishing company back in MysticFalls. Sometimes it felt that the grown-up life all of them were looking forward to back in high school didn't turn out to be as easy and fun as anticipated for both of them.

"I guess you're right." Caroline answered bluntly, biting her tongue so not to start complaining again. But she wanted oh so much to talk all about the fact that she graduated from the law school to be a lawyer and not the girl who looks after schedules and public events. But then again – she was sick and tired of complaining to anyone who could afford to listen; too much time was spent while concentrating on all the bad things that in the end weren't as bad as Caroline pictured them to be. "Listen 'Lena, I have to run. There's that dinner we have in the evening and I'm far from looking presentable."

"Call me soon?" Elena replied, her wide chocolate eyes making it so difficult for Caroline to refuse.

"You bet. Love you." Smiling widely Caroline ended the video and clicked on her song list just so to fill the room with music that helped her brush the fatigue away.

Unpacking was done with in a matter of minutes and Caroline stood next to the bed, chewing the inside of her cheek while looking at three dresses she laid on the bed to choose from for the dinner. Somehow it felt like her life was spiraling back into the same high-school routine that was all about looking pretty and always getting the attention she deserved. But that wasn't what she wanted anymore; what she wanted was to be a lawyer, help people and stand up for those who needed it in the court. Yet in the reality she was light-years away from her goals and stuck while thinking which bra would go better with which dress.

And she never felt more disappointed in her life.

Caroline shook her head vigorously and instead of spending another moment while feeling pity for herself she made her way to the bathroom and straight into the shower, leaving a trace of clothes on the floor all the way from the bedroom to the edge of the shower cabin. Water was as soothing as she hoped it to be and music coming from the bedroom made her feel ten times better while shampooing her hair and singing along. Even though she didn't have too much time to waste, Caroline chose to rather stand under the steaming hot water for a little while longer instead of going back to the same routine of dressing up, putting her make-up on and playing her part of a girl who did nothing but smiled and nodded while everyone else was talking.

And Caroline would've stood there for an eternity if not for the music that stopped and made her wonder just how long exactly she was there if even her playlist was already over. Stepping out of the shower Caroline wrapped a towel around her body and wiped the mirror covered in condensation just to see her wet-rat looking self staring back from the mirror. Rolling her eyes Caroline left the bathroom, steam following her into the bedroom as she crouched next to the bed and browsed her songs looking for one that would wake her up and get her moving.

"Well, this suite is definitely living up to my expectations." The voice coming from the doorway made Caroline shriek in fright as she jumped up and wrapped her arms tightly around her frame.

There he was, leaning to the doorframe with a suitcase next to him stood Klaus, his lips curved into a widespread grin as he looked at her without a pinch of shame, his eyes roaming freely up and down her very much indecent physique covered in nothing but a skimpy towel.

"Klaus, what the hell?!" She finally yelled after a moment spent trying to pull herself and her thoughts together. "What are you doing in my room?!"

"Your room?" His eyebrows rose in what seemed like surprise but in no more than a fraction of a second he burst into laughter leaving Caroline wandering if he finally lost it.

"Yes _my_ room; now get out!" Caroline was about to have a nervous breakdown and what was even more infuriating was the fact that Klaus seemed to be completely indifferent and even surprised himself.

A sickening feeling that maybe it wasn't her room to begin with was finally dawning on her; what if she was the one to screw up? What if she took the wrong key or didn't make herself clear in the reception? In the end, who'd book a room this fancy for an assistant? Caroline could almost see her expression changing from sheer anger to utter horror and gradually Klaus' expression grew into an almost honest glee.

"Okay. Alright." She murmured after taking a deep breath and ran her fingers through her dripping hair, trying not to snap once again and to rather maintain a calm demeanor that would help her out in a very uncomfortable situation. "Let me get dressed and then we can go to the reception to sort this whole mess out."

She watched Klaus cross his arms on his chest, reluctant to move for as much as an inch. Off course, how could she hope that the man would get the hint and leave her be for at least a moment while she rummaged through the closet, pulling random pieces of clothing out, but honestly – everything was better than standing there with nothing but a towel.

"Wait love, I think you forgot something." Klaus' voice caught up with her just as she was about to disappear behind closed bathroom door and Caroline spun around on her heel with the widest and fakest of smiles just to see her black lace bra hanging on one of his fingers while he was holding his hand mid-air. There it was – swinging like a freaking flag of _Shameland_ where Caroline was about to be deported.

"Thank you." She replied through her clenched teeth, trying her best not to have another temper tantrum while walking towards Klaus and grabbing her bra before literally running into the bathroom and locking the door behind.

Another wave of laughter rang in her ears even through the closed door and Caroline shut her eyes in frustration. A bright red blush finally painted her cheeks that previously were paper-white and with her hands shaking just slightly she started pulling clothes on her body while cursing silently under her breath.

…

"We have to find another hotel." Caroline broke the silence that dawned on both her and Klaus while taking the elevator to the top floor and back into _their_ room.

Twenty minutes of excuses and apologies later the administrator admitted that they've made a mistake, yet there was no way to fix it as all the rooms were already booked and Klaus and Caroline would need to share one for at least couple of days. And while she tried to reason and find another way to sort this out, Klaus was standing silently behind her not even saying a word while the smirk was playing in his features. He didn't object or intercept the conversation and it was even more infuriating as Caroline felt like she was tilting at windmills.

"Do we?" Klaus replied in that monotonic manner of his, tilting his eyebrows just slightly but rather following the floor numbers changing in the display than looking at Caroline. "I do like this one, and I'm not the man who strays from tradition easily."

"Seriously?" Caroline snapped, her voice rising just a tad while she clenched her hands into fists. However it seemed that her rash behavior was nothing if not pleasing for Klaus to witness and the more she was fuming, the wider his grin became. It was if the man was repaying her for that little bravado of hers back at the ball; his ways, however, were a bit more sinister than few words Caroline allowed herself to share with him.

Instead of bothering further to try and reason with him in all the wrong ways Caroline leaned to the elevator wall with her arms crossed on her chest and her gaze glued on the poster in front. And even in complete silence she could feel Klaus gloating while she chewed on her lower lip furiously. Caroline's oath to be more calm and collected was going straight to hell with every moment that passed while around that man; she was considering yoga, but then again – he would be there watching as she greets the sun and does the lotus pose, and so reaching the Zen was out of the question.

Finally the elevator stopped and as soon as it opened into their living room Caroline made her way inside and swung around with one hand on her hip as if ready for a speech. Klaus — who was following after her — was forced to stop himself and look at her with one eyebrow curved in question.

"Not that I'm enjoying this, but we're both grown-ups and I hope that we can manage to share a million square feet suite for few days." She started, keeping her overall calm demeanor, not giving him the satisfaction of seeing her break. _Again_.

"Too bad you have to share the room with no one else but a pompous ignorant ass." Klaus managed to use Caroline's little moment of weakness for the second time in the row and she wanted to kick herself for not knowing when to keep her mouth shut.

"Fair enough." She finally answered with a sigh, her hand falling from her hip in defeat. "But as a sign that I'm a better person, I will sleep on the couch while you can have the bedroom all to yourself."

It was a very weak blow to try and dispel quite a stifling atmosphere that always seemed to surround them, yet one couldn't blame a girl for trying. She watched his expression, trying to find something that would assure her, yet as always – there was nothing.

"Alright then, it's a deal." Caroline murmured and made her way back to the bedroom. He didn't follow after her and so she could allow herself to drop the act and get back to her sour self while stuffing all of her clothes back into the suitcase. Books, her journal, a laptop and all of the toiletries were tossed on top of her clothes unceremoniously and as soon as she was done Caroline retreated to the living room and dropped the suitcase next to the couch. For one thing she was grateful – Klaus didn't try to fight her or to oppose her choices and even if she wasn't too happy about leaving the bed that was ten times more comfortable than the one she slept in back in New York, there was a slight hope that they weren't incapable of compromising.

"I think the bed is big enough for both of us." Taunting, teasing voice came from the bedroom as Caroline was pushing the furniture around so to make the living room into something she could live and sleep at. His words were what made Caroline stop dreaming about something as blasphemous as him letting her catch a break.

"Is this sexual harassment I hear, _boss_?" She retorted casually while piling her clothes on the table. "Because I'm pretty sure it's not just illegal but may cost you your business license as well."

"Just an observation, love. No need to overanalyze." Klaus' words were followed by a silent chuckle that made Caroline roll her eyes, but she decided not to answer as she was well aware that with his sharp tongue and her stubbornness they would never stop quarreling.

Time flew by undetected and only once Klaus emerged from the bedroom dressed in a black tuxedo and working on his cufflinks Caroline jumped up with terror plastered all over her expression. She completely forgot the dinner — and everything else for that matter — and there was less than half an hour left until they had to leave.

"Is something wrong, love?" He questioned, but Caroline didn't have time to look at him or to answer as she was ransacking everything around her, trying to put something together that she could wear. The bar apparently was set higher than she expected as Klaus was dressed up to the nines while she was still in her jeans and tousled blonde curls tied in a messy ponytail.

Klaus watched her wreaking silent havoc and Caroline could feel his eyes on her, yet there was no time to stop and start arguing again. Plus she felt as if his presence grew less and less noticeable over the time and even if she didn't appreciate it, she already felt like she lived through the worst of the worst. Anything he had to say she already heard in one situation or the other – from sarcasm to drunken rage.

"It'll take few minutes." She finally murmured while holding a pile of clothes in her hands, looking at him over her shoulder. "How about I meet you down at the bar?"

Watching Klaus nod in agreement was almost ecstatic – even if she didn't care that much, it was ten times better without him around; especially when those few minutes would've consisted of her running around half-dressed and completely mad.

"I do prefer the red dress, love." She heard his voice right before the elevator door closed and he disappeared from her sight. Caroline wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, looking at the same three dresses she did before all this madness came crumbling down, her gaze stopping on the red one just for a second before she grabbed it and stuffed it into the very bottom of her suitcase.

"Black it is."


End file.
